Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-02-17
RESOURCES OF JAPAN.

RESOURCES OF JAPAN.
Extfacts from . Valuable Report by IL
Austrian Consul ut Yokohama.
Mr.. Kreitner. the Consul for Austria
Hungary at Yokohama, has published
in Vienna journal an elaborate and
interesting report upon japan. from
which we take few extracts. The
kingdom consists of 8, 100 islands Tin
Guiding the Kurile and Liu-Kiu groups).
the vast majority of which are of sub
marine volcanic creation, while only
the four larger ones = viz: Yesso.
Niphon, Shikoku and Kiusiu-have
been detached from the continent by
depressions and foundations. The best
harbors are: Matsmai and Hakodadi.
in Yesso; Idsu, Yokohama. Schimidzu.
Toba. Matoya, Nugata, Kobe. Nagoya
and Mitaroi, in Niphon; Jakamatsu and
Sanuki, in Shikoku; Kagosima and
Nagasaki, in Kiusiu. Fusi Yama, 49,
200 feet in height, has been inactive
since 1907, when terrible eruption
occurred, spreading destruction far and
wide; similar catastrophes are recorded
to have happened at intervals of 10
years since $50 B. c., and it IS a
general belief. therefore, that fresh
outburst is imminent. Earthquakes,
though frequent, never lose their
terror; it is calculated that at least one
entire town falls victim to their
favages every seven years. and in 1855
rokio suffered a loss of sixteen thou
sand houses and an equal number of
inhabitants. The difference of climate
in the northern and southern isles is as
great as that between Iceland and Sicily,
and though nowhere is it absolutely
inimical to the health of Europeans, yet
its extreme humidity and mutuability
are source of serious discomfort. The
cOal-mines are now worked on modern
principles and with improved machin-
cry. The output in 1881 was 100000
tons. Foreign vessels can always get
a sufficient supply at Nagasaki. The
existence of petroleum has been known
for centuries, but began to be in use
only fifty years ago. 1t would be Of
the very best quality if properly
cleansed. In 1888 thirteen hundred
new wells were opened. at depths vary
ing from thirty to three hundred yards.
Mines are government property. They
are let out to natives at high royalties,
and are moreover subject to exception
ally heavy taxation. Foreigners are
excluded from all participation in them
except as engineers.
Gold mining and washing have proved
unremunerative, and more than one
hundred placers now stand idle. AL
though gold and silver were discovered
in the eighth and ninth centuries, the
Japanese are still SO unskillful in sepa-
rating the two metals that their gold
has invariably an alloy of silver. Ow-
ing to a glut of the precious metals in
Japan in the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries. and the ignorance prevailing
of their current value in the rest of the
world, more than one thousand millions
of gold gulden were drawn from the
country by the Portuguese and Dutch
within the period of one hundred years.
The conditions are now SO changed
that Japan is obliged to supply her
want of the precious metals by importa-
tons from Corea, China, America and
Australia. Copper was discovered and
employed for coinage earlier than gold
viz, in the seventh century. Notwith-
standing the abundance of iron ore in
the country, its manufacture is SO
clumsy and costly that it fails to
compete with the foreign article.
Steel, however, of the very best
quality, especially for sword blades.
is turned out. but the secret of
its manufacture has not been divulged.
Few precious stones. and those only of
inferior order, are found. Asbestos of
an excellent kind comes from the Prov
ince of Hiuga. OF plants, the camphor
tree ought to furnish useful export
for trunk-makers, as the wood is an eff
fectual preventative against moths.
The manufacture of camphOr oil from
the leaves of the tree is known to the
japanese only in its raider stages; the
refining processes take place in China
and are a speciality of that people. The
culture of the lacquer tree occupies
many thousands in the fields and many
more in the workshops, preparing its
sap for the famous lacquer-ware. The
latter is most delicate and difficult
operation, whose secrets are but little
known beyond the circle of the guild.
The preparation of the fruit Of the wax
tree is another of the cherished mOnop-
olies of Japan. 1t requires unceasing
care and attention, and the result is
n very valuable item in commerce.
Japanese agriculture has under
gone little change for centuries;
only one-tenth of the whole land, about
one-fourth of the so-called fertile parts,
is cultivated. A recent attempt on the
part of the Government to exploit the
island Of YoSSO in an agricultural sense